Majority leader says it's the first time he's seen a president not back a law on the books

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House Majority Leader Eric Cantor holds up a copy of the Harvard Gazette, featuring a story on innovation by their students during an address at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government in Cambridge on Thursday.

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — House Majority Leader Eric Cantor says he was "taken aback" by President Barack Obama ordering his administration to stop defending the constitutionality of a federal law that bans recognition of gay marriage.

The Virginia Republican said Thursday that he'd never been around when a president decided not to defend a law on the books. He says the U.S. Congress is mulling its options on the 15-year-old Defense of Marriage Act.

Cantor made his comments in response to a question following a speech at Harvard University.